What is up guys, Jrockfreak here and welcome back to Otaku Puppy Podcast! This week we are diving into the dark and mysterious world of the 2012 anime, Another. Or, as I like to call it, Final Destination: The Anime.
Another… This is one of those anime that I remember hearing about back in the day, but just never got around to checking out. Honestly? I kind of wish I still hadn't, lol. This anime had so much potential oozing from the premise, but the execution just felt… messy. The story was all over the place, and frankly, it spent way too much time trying to be mysterious just for the sake of it.
So, for those who haven't braved the halls of Yomiyama North Junior High, Another throws us into Class 3-3. We follow Kouichi Sakakibara, a transfer student returning after a month-long sick leave. He's immediately drawn to Mei Misaki, a quiet, enigmatic girl with an eyepatch. The catch? No one else seems to acknowledge her existence. Everyone warns Kouichi to stay away, to not associate with things that "don't exist." Naturally, being the protagonist, he ignores them.
And that's where things start to get… weird. The rumors start swirling, hinting at a curse plaguing Class 3-3. It all revolves around a former student, but nobody wants to spill the full details of the grim event that happened. Kouichi, predictably, becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth and its connection to Mei. Then, the tragedies begin. People start cough dying in increasingly elaborate and unfortunate ways. It's up to Kouichi, Mei, and their increasingly freaked-out classmates to unravel the mystery, but as you can probably guess, the answers come at a hefty price.
My main problem with Another is its pacing and how it handles its central mystery. The first few episodes are great at building atmosphere. The school feels ominous, the classmates are unnervingly secretive, and Mei is genuinely intriguing. You’re left wondering, “What’s going on here? Why is everyone acting so strange?”
But then… it just keeps going. And going. And going.
The mystery gets dragged out way too long, and the explanations, when they finally trickle in, feel convoluted and unsatisfying. Instead of a carefully crafted puzzle, it feels more like the writers were throwing ideas at the wall and seeing what stuck.
And Mei Misaki herself? She starts off as this captivating, almost otherworldly figure. The eyepatch, the quiet demeanor, the fact that nobody acknowledges her – it all adds to her mystique. But the anime never really capitalizes on it. I feel like they wanted to make Mei this iconic, mysterious character, but after a while, they just… stopped trying. She just becomes another student caught up in the chaos. The potential for her character was immense, and it's a shame to see it squandered.
The other characters don't fare much better. Most of them are fairly one-dimensional, serving primarily as either victims or red herrings. There are a few exceptions, but overall, the cast is forgettable.
I will give Another credit where it's due. Episodes 11 and 12 were solid gold. These episodes were the tipping point, the culmination of all the built-up tension. They ditched the slow-burn mystery and went full-blown action-horror. The animation gets a serious boost, the tension is palpable, and the deaths become hilariously over-the-top. The problem is getting to that point was a drag. It feels like wading through molasses to get to the good stuff.
So, can I recommend Another? Honestly, no. If you're looking for a genuinely good horror anime with a compelling mystery and well-developed characters, I suggest you just grab Higurashi: When They Cry. Higurashi does everything that Another tries to do, but it does it better, more consistently, and with far less unnecessary melodrama.
Another just felt like a missed opportunity, a promising premise that never quite lived up to its potential. It’s a case of style over substance, where the mystery is more about teasing than actually delivering a satisfying conclusion. So, unless you're a die-hard horror fan with a lot of patience, I'd say skip this one.
That’s all the time we have for this week’s Otaku Puppy Podcast! Let me know in the comments if you agree with my take on Another, or if you think I’m completely off my rocker. As always, thanks for listening and until next time, stay otaku!
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